Whoops. You're right. Please retcon that you got hit for damage instead.
Astrianna's luck has run out! She should be encouraging/demanding and doing Captain stuff anyway.
Happy New Year all. I hope 2018 turns out to be a year that we all look back at fondly.
Ok I think that's everyone in game.
@Prospero - The way I read Divert you have to redistribute all shield points restored evenly to all quadrants and any excess goes to the forward. To redistribute between quadrants you need the Science Officer action Balance.
Let me know if you think that's wrong but I'm putting the Hippocampus front shield at 4/5 not at full strength at the end of Round 2.
Now for all the rolling to kick off Round 3!
Round Four
What's already happened:
Pilot initiatives done,
Enemy lost initative, so it moves. Moved already on map.
What's next from players:
Pilot decide the movement.
Captain Decide what they wish to do and roll
Science office action and roll
Engineer decide what they wish to do (if anything) and roll
Gunner fire.
@GM: I think you’re correct about the Divert action. I must’ve misread the ‘distribute’ part.
Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone!
Happy new year!
Also Prospero, the coilgun is 4d4 damage, so either you or the GM can roll another sweet sweet 1d4.
Dang, missed the post edit window by one minute...
But thanks for spotting the wrong damage, Astrianna!
Good job on the combat guys. This was the adventure's first ship combat, so a lot like the session 0 homebrew it was kind of a tutorial. I think the next one should be more challenging.
Happy new year and stuff : )
That interceptor didn't stand much of a chance considering we had a coilgun!
Oooh our first dungeon. Who wants to press all the buttons?
Map updated.
Track:
The Aceron
Pushed ahead a little bit because I just realized there's nothing of interest in the airlock itself.
@Marching order - Hmm. We don't really have a big tanky guy to go first, so I suggest whomever that has the most perception and vision stuff.
Prospero?
Also! Everyone but Leila seems to have darkvision (errr ...) so I suggest that she takes the middle spot and turn her flashlight off (as to not alert anything lurking about) and have someone guide her.
Then when the coast is clear she can turn her light back on : )
Astrianna has a show to make- she goes first! Until she gets her s!%~ kicked in, anyway. Then uh, yeah, Prospero.
So Fi is using Infrared Sensors too? And I don't know, while halflings are pretty brave, I certainly wouldn't want to be in that situation!
Map updated. Initiative rolled. You guys are up.
Soundtrack update:
The Aceron combat
If Leila's information is correct the critter has a fire resistance of 5.
Does Astri have any other gun besides her fancy laser?
Might come in handy if there's more of them! If not she could borrow one from Leila; with the pistol from the club she has three which *should* more or less work on that thing.
I'll let y'all in on a secret. I stiffed that poor doggie of his 5 fire resistance and it should have barely survived the barrage!
I'll let y'all in on a secret. I stiffed that poor doggie of his 5 fire resistance and it should have barely survived the barrage!
Wow.
How could you even sleep last night, you monster?
I could make it up to the other monsters if you think that would atone for it.
@Spare Gun - It's a tactical semi automatic (6Mi range, 9 shots & 1d6p damage).
@Atrocities - Hmm yeah no I think we are good with that : )
Alright two votes for the front of the ship. I think that's good enough to push forward in a few hours.
Also. I've been thinking about it and I'm coming to the conclusion that the Mechanic could use some tweaks in the form of buffs:
purl=http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2utgj?The-only-problem-with-the-Mechanic-i s-a-weak]Blather[/url] is here for that.
Does anyone have an issue with me giving Prospero-4 a better Bypass class ability and also just making him full BAB without having to use up a move action in the game?
Sounds good to me! I like it when Prospero hits the things he's shooting at.
Cool, one vote in favour.
Also... uh... who was in the lead?
Bullet-magnet Glorious Leader Astrianna is on point still I think : )
@Buffs - Hmm so basically bumping Bypass up to the same scaling as Operative's edge? That does seem fair.
Not sure about the BaB thing. I'm not even sure if move actions are important in Starfinder. Probably :P
I'm also not sure if there's some Mechanic class feature/ability later down the line that relies on that tracking action or something, but I guess that's a problem for future us really!
What I do know is that the Memory Module will need a tiny adjustment so that it works.
Maybe simply making it a Free and/or Swift action to activate instead? The later though *could* really bite one in the ass though!
Maybe full BaB is the best/most elegant way to do it.
Link for those whom are curious and want to save the three seconds it takes to highlight the broken one :P
Summary!
Bypass: Seems fair!
Other thing: *eyes glaze over*
My thoughts!
Personally my greatest annoyance with the whole skill thingy is how they literally glued Computer and Engineering together. It feels like every time there's a bonus or perk or class ability for one it always includes the other.
Like Bypass.
Or the fact that the only Operative field that includes any includes both. Leila wanted the one with Computer so now she's also an excellent engineer automatically. That certainly doesn't help to make things feel different either.
Merp that's my take on it all : )
@Leila.
Actually I made it so the buffed Bypass is one level ahead of the Operative, just for Computers and Engineering.
Yeah, Computers and Engineering are tied together at the hip. If you want we can modify Hacker somehow if you think it'll fit Leila better. Do you want to try or are you good as is?
The base game can't account for everything. That's what homebrew is for!
As for the exocortex class abilities. You're right actually. They all make combat tracking *incredibly* fiddly. I don't like it. Just do those extra things while you have your full BAB I say. And the twin, triple, and quad tracking upgrades are pointless since you get them right at first level (since you're just full BAB).
Anyway it's more up to Prospero than anything else. It's fun to pick at the system though!
@Bypass - Oh I didn't notice. Only really going to matter at 1/3rd of the levels though. Maybe just make the scaling the same and slap on the free Skill Focus Operatives get?
Thought that would mean they're the same later on to a non-Hacker operative ...
@Leila - So far so good. Haven't really seen enough of much of anything to have any (productive) ideas yet. Maybe in the future : )
@Exocortex - On the bright side it lets one beep-boop a bit and say "Target Acquired" all the time : P
Skill focus is a kind of minor early game buff for operatives and stops mattering pretty early on when the class insight bonus catches up. Would be the same for the mechanic.
Mm. Some more thoughts!
Compared to (non-Hacker) Operative Skill Focus would just make the Mechanic a better engineer/computer-er levels 1-6. However one level early Bypass only makes the Mechanic better at level 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18.
And, to me, the later feels a bit inelegant. It's odd that the skill relation is fluctuating so much from level to level. The mechanic is the mechanical specialist, but only on mondays and wednesdays. If it's friday you could simply ask Joe Operative and he'll do the same job.
---
The Skill Focus not stacking with anything is also really awkward in my opinion but that's another thing. I get that they are trying to keep the DCs in the same realm but ... Bleh :P
Personally I'd might consider switching Skill Focus to simply being "Class Skill if you haven't got that or +3 Insight Bonus if you haven't got that or +1 Stackable Bonus". That way it is always *something*. Probably not really worth a Feat if you get the last effect, but at least your skills are focused even after the class insight bonuses catches up.
And I'd think really long and hard about replacing the iconic d20 with 2d10 instead. That gives the results a nice bell curve and makes static bonuses really valuable if you are right at the breaking point but much less appealing if you are at either extreme.
But that would take a lot of rebalancing probably.
I was actually going to have Prospero on point from now on considering that there's tangible danger, my reasoning being that Astrianna likes to be in front for reaction/recording purposes unless she's likely to get her s%~$ kicked in. She might be dumb sometimes, but the near-death experience in the Downside Kings hideout taught her maybe she shouldn't stand in front of doors while opening them at least.
This is also a good idea because A) Prospero has really high armor and B) Astrianna can't heal her own stamina points.
So
Uh
*Pushes Prospero in front*
So the only question then is where is Fianh?
Sorry... been having internet connection issues (plus phone issues because of course everything happens at once).
Back now, hopefully.
Hi,
I was assigned to troubleshoot some critical production issues, so didn't have time to post. I'll try to get a combat post coming in the afternoon.
And either did I have time to read and think the discussion properly, but moar BAB sounds good :P
Good stuff guys. Looking forward to it.
I must say I REALLY like the idea of replacing 1d20 with 2d10. Would be a major change to the probability assumptions of the game though. It'd make crits far less common unless you did something like expand crit range to 18-20.
It's your game GM! I just follow the rules I'm given.
If something doesn't work out I'll complain, but I don't mind being part of an experiment.
You know what, no reason why you can't duck as a swift action to let people behind you fire without soft cover. Won't work for Leila though, too short! Also you can't really do it while in melee range.
For simplicity's sake whoever's behind you can just assume you're ducking. Complicated tactics don't work in pbp!
I don't think it's the ducking that's the problem, it's the being careful while aiming so you don't shoot your friend that gives the soft cover?
Looking at my combat rolls, I'm quite in the favor of rolling 2d10 instead :)
Considering the mechanic... P-4 is quite early on the career, so it's hard to say anything definite yet. Skills-wise, yes, looks like operatives easily overshadow mechanics. And so, Leila will always be better in doing the things Prospero-4 is supposed to be good at. (So making P-4 more combat focused hopefully helps him find his place).
And skills are operatives' "thing", so it's fair that they are good in them. I haven't bothered to think about "builds" yet, so I can't say the mechanic tricks can put the techno-expert feeling in mechanic...
Well whatever changes we make will happen after this combat :)
@Ducking - Well can't Leila just yell and then everyone does a synchronized jump?
That'll work out perfectly I swear :P
@2d10 - Thing that needs to be considered the most are probably saves and stuff. For example, with 2d10 a (decent) wizard would probably almost always manage to Charm the Fighter or Grease the Cleric.
I mean that's usually the case with 1d20s but rolling 15+ is much tougher on 2d10.
Now we don't actually have any wizards or so but something to keep in mind. In our case that probably means we should really avoid fort saves, like probable alien infection ... :P
But I'm all for trying, if people want : )
@Skills - Our Engineering skill should be about even after ~level 7 when the free/forced Operative Skill Focus pewters off.
@Fi - That sounds terrible! Best of luck getting it sorted out - being without internet is no joke this day and age!
OK, back now, promise. Ugh. Stupid technology.
In favour of using 2d10.
And for future reference, Fi is the Daredevil, so she should go in front.
Duh. :)
So I made up a spreadsheet comparing 1d20 to 2d10 because nerrrrd and the results are a bit surprising.
One thing I wanted to maintain was to keep roughly the same probability of a crit or a fumble. It's a 5% chance of either in 1d20. To keep the same true in 2d10 I put the fumble range as 2-4, and the crit range as 18-20. It's not 5% but 6% on either side of the range.
What really matters in the end is what number you need to be able to hit something. So if you have an attack bonus of +5 to say, and the AC you're targeting is 15, then you need a 10 or higher to hit for example.
It turns out that 2d10 is better if the roll you need is 11 or lower, exactly the same at 12, and worse if you need a higher roll. (there's a minor uptick at the point where you need a crit to land anything but that's negligible).
So for example. if you need a roll of 11 to hit something then you have, a 50% chance of achieving that with a 1d20 and a 55% chance of achieving that with 2d10. Just a little bit better.
But if you need a roll of 15 to hit something then you have a 30% chance of doing that with 1d20 but only 21% of doing it with 2d10.
Of course Leila already pointed that out above. But I'm slow and need a spreadsheet to see it!
Statistically it will make Leia and Astiranna in this game whiff more often against bosses. Don't think that's a great tradeoff.
Basically the less it probably matters (the easier it is to hit something), the more the 2d10 helps and the more it matters (harder to hit things are usually more powerful!) it actively makes things harder.
It also means Astris buff is more valuable for us poor shots. And that cover is really important since it could easily push someone over the bump from hit-almost-always to hard target.
Is that total damage that Prospero has taken, or has Astri's inspiring boost for 7 stamina been subtracted already?
Cause if he's taken 19 damage then that puts him at 5 hp and 0 stamina and he needs some healing serum. If the stamina heal is not inculded in that value he's taken 12 stamina damage and no hp damage.
Regardless, Prospero should have a rest while we check out the bridge and restore his stamina points.
The 19 damage includes Astrianna's healing. He got bit a LOT, including a crit.
But the 19 damage should drop him to 9 HP, not 5 I believe.
I have no problem with Prospero helping to check out the bridge while also spending a resolve point to recover stamina.
Oops, I thought both his HP and stamina were 12. Obviously I can't read.
I'm beginning to wonder if our party's concentration on ranged skill-monkeys is going to be our fall... During the Akata fight I felt a proper front-liner might have been a good thing. Although, I don't think any class would be any tankier, at least AC-wise.
The fights is Absalom station were all shootouts, so we were fine. But if there is going to be a lot of enemies who like to fight mano-a-mano, it's going to be a bit more challenging.
Actually, thinking damage output, Leila or Fi would be better on melee. I think they would be able to use their trick attack with operative melee weapons?
But it's a new system, and we're still learning :)
And yeah, Prospero will like to heal up and catch his breath.
We are, it's just that we would have to contend with *uh* our strength. And only with operative weapons so that sorta falls off really quick since they aren't too great.
I was actually considering the Solarion at start but decided against it. Maybe a multiclass option? Still would have to contend with Leilas (lack of) strength but at least it's a few more hp :-P
I don't want anyone to change up their character concepts if they don't want to. Don't have to have a 'balanced' party in order to have a fun game and having a lot of dakka dakka on the field is amusing in and of itself.
And as Prospero-4 said, this is a new system and we are all learning :) so I'm completely open to some rejigging as well.
For damage output, the game seems to have ensured that the more specialized weapons will outdamage the more basic ones handily. All the operative melee weapons are basic. Melee gets to add strength to damage of course but the bigger melee weapons provide a pretty big damage boost.
Melee does counter range pretty well, but it also has the effect of making the melee person a pretty big target for reasonable enemies to focus on.
Just some things to consider.
The important thing of course is to have fun and hope that's true for everyone! :)